Reverse Homesickness

First of all, I have not made a post since language camp. I am seriously the worst blogger probably in all of CBYX history. I sincerely do apologize for not updating, and I will greatly regret it later when I am wishing that I had some sort of documentation for my time in Germany. I was so busy the entire year, and whenever I did have a break, I was too tired to get around to making a blog post.
I got home on the 14th of June. After 3 long flights and luggage lost in D.C, I have made it safely home. The humidity hit me hard, immediately as I stepped off of the plane. Welcome to Mississippi. 
My first week back here was great. Seeing everyone again and telling all of my stories. But now I am incredibly homesick, for Germany. I miss my friends and host family and the life I had there. I miss them all so much. I miss the city I lived in, Mainz. I miss everything. I never thought I would have such a homesickness for Germany.
Currently, I’m just trying to get back into the swing of things. I’ve got my job back and I start on Sunday, I am getting involved in sports and hanging out with all of my friends. I’ve started some college applications and I’m looking forward to my senior year. Everything is going well here. But my heart still longs for my second home far away.

Language Camp: Week 2

I have been here at language camp for 2 weeks, so this is my last week here. It is exciting yet very bittersweet. I have become close friends with a lot of the people here and it is going to be sad to have to leave them- furthermore, it will be exciting to finally be with my host family and completely be fully immersed in the German culture. 
I have been slacking on updating my blog posts’, but I have been so busy here. We are usually always constantly going, but I am having such a great time!
As far as my German progress goes, I have learned a lot (especially grammar wise). The teamers and teachers here are amazing and are very helpful. I really want to make a blog post about the cultural differences I’ve encountered so far, but that will take a while but I will make one! 

Yes, I’m Mississippian. And yes, I am living in Germany

So, today I experienced something that really shocked me.
During an exercise we were doing at language camp, we had to get in groups of 7 and create “a perfect country to live in.” Me and Tori, the other girl from Mississippi, were basically the only “Southerners” in the group. When it came to talking about gun control, we were all for it. In the South, almost everyone has a gun, and everybody is totally in support for gun rights. After presenting our project and mentioning the guns, everyone was in shock. “Why would you want guns?” “Your opinion is wrong.” “Guns kill people.” “Mississippian’s are trashy.”
Hold up, what? 
After everyone had completed their presentations, the teamers told us that the countries we made reflected the culture we grew up in.
Sounds about right. Guns, Mississippi… It’s our culture.
That is, after all, where I grew up. That is my culture. It is in my blood. 
Now, I can understand where people may not agree with my choices, but Mississippian’s are trashy because we support gun rights? That is like me saying that Yankee’s are atheists because they support abortion.
As a CBYX-er, it is my duty and every other CBYX-er’s duty to not stereotype. To not make judgments based on opinions. And after hearing everyone’s response, I am in complete shock that someone would make such a judgement. Being country does NOT make you “trashy.”
Yes, I am from Mississippi. No, I am not stupid. No, I am not fat. No, I am not trashy because of my belief’s or because of where I am from. Clearly, I have something because I am one of 50 American’s chosen for this prestigious scholarship.
Not only does it hurt being judged by my belief’s, it upsets me to know that my state, my home, is stereotyped in such a way, especially by other CBYX-er’s (who have very little knowledge on Mississippi in the first place). That is where I was born. That is where I grew up. That is home. It is not trashy. Nor does it make me trashy because I am from there. 
To think that these stereotypes even exist within this group is upsetting. To even make such a judgement about a state that you barely know anything about is sickening. I hope that no one will make judgments against any other state, or country in such a negative manner ever again. And hopefully everyone will learn a lot about that during their exchange. 

Language Camp: Week 1

So I have been at Language Camp in Schloss Wittgenstein at Bad Laasphe for almost a week now!
It has been so fun! My roommate, Tori, is great. We have a lot of fun together. I also really love the weather here, it is very cool, so much that we usually have to wear a jacket and a scarf. Classes are a bit tough, but I am learning so much more German every day. The food is very interesting. I can say that I am finally used to German food now. There is only one hot meal a day, lunch. The rest is cold cuts. They also eat bread with every meal and there is always Nutella. Instead of putting mayonnaise on their sandwiches, they use butter.
Everyone is, for the most part, getting along well. We all have fun playing games together, etc. It’s going to be sad to leave language camp and say goodbye to all of my friends.

 

CBYX: 12 hours until departure

Tomorrow morning, I will leave my home and depart for D.C.
I thought it would be very important to document my last hours in my home; my feelings and emotions are sort of numb at this point. It is hard to imagine that this is the last time I will be sitting here in my room for a year, really, it is very hard to comprehend. As far as packing go, I think I am mostly prepared. Although, I do have the odd feeling that I may be missing something important. 
It is crazy that this is actually happening. I have only dreamed of this for a year, and now it is finally coming in to place. It is literally right in front of me. It feels amazing.
I am not sure when I will be able to make a post next. I will try to while I am in D.C but I don’t know how much free time I will have while I am there. Hopefully I will post soon.

Auf wiedersehen, America

The Final Goodbyes

I have 1 more day until my journey begins, and I’ve begun the hard process of saying goodbye to my friends and family.
I would say this is bittersweet, but it’s more just like bitter. Who knew that saying goodbye for a year would be so hard? 
The actual thought of physically being away from my friends and family isn’t what I’m worried about. I’m worried that once I get back, everyone will have changed. I feel like I’m saying goodbye to someone that I will never meet again, and once I get back, the metamorphosis from a caterpillar to a butterfly will have already taken place. This really isn’t the case for family so much as it is for friends. After all, we are so young and our teens go by so quickly and we change all the time.
I hate having to say goodbye to people that I won’t see for a year. It is so hard! But at the same time, I am excited to go on this journey to Germany; I will meet so many new people and friends while I am over there.
Tomorrow is my last day in Mississippi before I leave for D.C. I am going to try to enjoy it as much as I can and soak it all up.